Birch bark - recovery and use as wood impregnation agent

Important results from the project

The aim of the project was to replace toxic cupper-based wood impregnation by an environmentally-friendly wood impregnation concept by using birch bark, an underutilized bi-product from the forest industry.

Expected long term effects

The work carried out and progress made within this project indicate that it is feasible to use existing a novel process technologies for the creation of a new value chain for birch bark both for its use in wood impregnation as well as other higher-value applications.

Approach and implementation

In short, the project allowed to gain better understanding on the possibilities and challenges associated to the process of driving innovation in the forest-based sector. The experimental findings have allowed for greater insight into the key functional and technical properties of birch bark and its extracts. These results will form the basis for an application for a bigger project targeting a wider spectrum of application areas.